


Tutor Me

by arashikuro



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2019-08-14 02:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16484600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arashikuro/pseuds/arashikuro
Summary: High School AU. Ninomiya Kazunari needs to improve his grades, and the wealthy and popular senior, Sakurai Sho, offers to tutor him. There’s just one problem. Nino has a crush on Sho.





	Tutor Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sakumiya Be My Valentine Exchange

Ninomiya Kazunari was never the type to like school. He disliked most of his fellow classmates, hated working, and hated worrying about his future. Unfortunately, he was in his first year of high school, which was a crucial point to start preparing to move on. Nino wanted to become a game developer, a job that required strength in mathematics. Unfortunately for Nino, math was not his forte. If he wanted to achieve his dreams, he’d have to improve his grades first.

Much to Nino’s annoyance, there weren’t many people around to help him. He hated his math teacher, who didn’t acknowledge the bullying that took place in his class (which was mostly aimed at Nino, who was frequently bullied by Matsumoto-kun, the coolest freshman in the school), so asking him for assistance wasn’t going to happen. Nino’s only option happened to be from a fellow student. A senior, named Sakurai Sho. Sakurai was at the top of his class, and he was one of the most popular students at the school. He came from a wealthy family and seemed to be able to do anything. Girls were constantly swarming him in the hallways, trying to get their chance to flirt with him. Nino groaned as he saw a girl beg Sakurai to take her home and ‘help her study’ as he walked down the hall. However, Nino noticed that Sakurai never went out with the girls, and never seemed to have a girlfriend. Which was probably normal, as he was aiming for Keio University, and was constantly working hard to keep his grades up and participate in extracurricular activities.

Despite his wealth and popularity, which would turn most into egotistical bastards, Sakurai was one of the nicest people Nino had met. Once when Nino was being pushed around in the hallway by some of the older students, Sho came over and told the bullies to cut it out. Nino hadn’t been bullied in the hall since.

After the bullying incident, Nino would occasionally chat with Sho when the opportunity arose. When he mentioned that he was bad at math, Sho offered to help him with subject. People begged for time with the top student, and Nino was being handed the offer to study with him. Nino, along with the other students, were surprised that someone with Sakurai’s status would give a damn about some nerdy 1st year student. But Nino, who wanted to become a game designer so much, couldn’t refuse such an offer... Right?

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

“Well of course you should let Sakurai-kun tutor you! You’ll improve your grades!”

“But Aiba...”

“Hm?”

“Well.... you know....”

“Is this about your crush on him?”

 

Nino nodded, blushing.

 

“Come on, Nino. This is an opportunity you can’t pass up because of a stupid crush. Learning from one of the smartest students will put you closer to achieving your goals. And perhaps you could even allure him in the process.”

“No way! Sakurai Sho wouldn’t fall for me! He never dates anyone anyway.”

“Ever wonder why that is? Maybe he’s gay too!”

“Don’t give me false hope, you idiot. Some poor nerd like me could never be worthy of Sakurai Sho. He has a status to maintain after all.”

“You’re too negative! This is your chance!”

 

Nino rolled his eyes.

 

“But you’re right. I have to let him tutor me, as it’s my best chance at getting into a good game design program.”

“That’s the spirit!” Aiba patted him on the back.

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

Nino was nervous as he sat down at his first tutoring session with Sakurai.

 

“What topic are you discussing now in math?”

“Fa ctoring .”

“Oh, factoring. Everyone struggles with it at first, but it isn’t too hard.”

“I don’t get it at all.”

“That’s okay. I’ll help you get through it.”

 

Sho proved to be even more helpful than Nino expected. He went through every method of factoring Nino’s class was supposed to know, even going a bit ahead of where they were. He explained in detail how everything worked, and made sure Nino completely understood it all. He even helped Nino derive the quadratic formula, adding to Nino’s knowledge of math, rather than having him just memorizing the formula like most students were taught. After a couple of hours, Sho had wrapped up the lesson.

 

“Not so bad, right?”

“No, I guess not. Thanks Sakurai-san.”

 

Sakurai glanced at the clock.

 

“I have to get going. But keep working on this stuff, okay?”

 

Nino nodded.

 

“And call me Sho.”

“Okay, Sho-san.”  Nino smiled.

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

From thereon, Nino met Sho for math tutoring once a week. Until once a week turned into twice a week. And twice a week became almost daily. And math tutoring turned into tutoring for all subjects. And Sho felt less like a tutor and more like a friend.

Sho had even joined Nino and Aiba during their lunch period, despite the fact that the other popular kids were annoyed by it. They didn’t think Aiba and Nino were worthy of Sho’s time. But Sho glared at them, and they shut their mouths. It would be bad to get on the Sakurai family’s bad side.

Furthermore, spending so much time with Sho only made Nino’s crush grow into something a bit more. Sure, Sakurai was handsome, smart, and wealthy, but there was more to him than most of his ‘fangirls’ knew. He was always kind and he cared about others. Offering his help to Nino even when he was busy was a kindness that Nino never received before. Nino also found that Sho wasn’t as perfect as everyone made him out to be. Sho admitted to being afraid of heights when Nino had suggested studying on the school’s roof, and Nino quickly began to notice that Sho was terrible at anything athletic. But his imperfections just added to his charm, Nino determined.

And Nino’s academics improved, too. Having Sho go through mathematical equations and derive formulas was incredibly helpful. In addition, Sho gave tips on how to remember difficult kanji, went over experiments in the chemistry lab, and had long conversations with Nino in English. A new semester was starting soon, and Nino was moving up to honors level classes, thanks to Sho’s help. Nino particularly liked the fact that Sho didn’t make Nino feel dumb when he was studying with him. He explained things in a way Nino could understand without talking down to the freshman. Nino truly appreciated that, as for the first time in his life, his confidence was boosted.

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

Sho, Nino, and Aiba were sitting together at lunch, which had become the norm, when Nino noticed something strange. He was chatting with Aiba about the hot new assistant teacher, Ohno-sensei, who all the girls were squealing over. While smirking, Nino joked that he would do _anything_ for Ohno if he needed to improve his grade, a type of joke that he would normally make with Aiba. As soon as the words left his mouth, Nino realized that Sho obviously heard it too. Nino quickly looked at Sho, to notice that the senior had become frozen for a second with his eyes wide. Sho almost immediately snapped out of it, though, and chuckled nervously.

 

“Shit.” Nino mumbled under his breath

 

Nino hadn’t wanted to tell Sho he was gay. He didn’t want to lose his friendship with Sho over it. Then again, Nino thought, if Sho didn’t accept his sexuality, was he really a true friend in the first place.

Nino sighed. He hoped Sho would accept him.

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

Thankfully the subject never came up again, and Sho continued to assist Nino with his studies. Nino was becoming more and more stressed as the semester was drawing to a close. Sure he was doing well in his classes, but his final grades depended on one thing: finals. Sho had noticed Nino’s sudden stress.

 

“Hey Nino, want to study at my house tomorrow?”

 

Nino’s eyes widened. Sakurai Sho was going to let him into his house? No one from their school had been in that place before, not as far as he knew, anyway. There had been rumors about how large it was floating around for a while, and everyone wanted to see the grand mansion for themselves.

 

“If that’s okay with you, then sure.”

“Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow morning then.”

“Okay.” Nino smiled.

 

**************************************** ********************************

 

“Nice car.”  Nino commented as he checked out Sho’s Rolls-Royce.

“Thanks. My parents got it for me when I learned to drive.”

 

Nino sighed. His mother couldn’t afford to buy a car, period.  
Sho opened the door and gestured for Nino to enter.

The drive to the Sakurai mansion was much further than Nino expected. Sho had this long of a commute to school everyday?

 

“Isn’t this really far from the school?”

“Yeah, it is. I have about an hour long commute every morning.”

“Why do you go to a school so far away?”

“Well, it’s the best school in the area. And my parents insist on living in a mansion, which is impossible in the city.”

 

A while later they pulled up to an iron gate. Sho exited the car and typed in a passcode on the gate, which slid open.

 

“Woah, that’s so cool.” Nino said to himself.

 

Sho reentered the car and drove down the long driveway, and soon the beautiful white mansion came into view.

 

“Eh? It’s huge! You actually live here?”

 

Sho nodded.

 

“How many people live in this house?”

“My parents, myself, and my two siblings. And a few live-in maids.”

“You have live-in maids?”

“Yep.” Sho rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Do you not like that?”

“I’ve never really said this to anyone before, but I hate this life. I don’t want this giant mansion. It’s always so lonely. I just want a normal life in a normal sized apartment or house with my family. I don’t like the fancy cars, clothing and technology. I’d be more than happy with just normal things.”

“But it’s better than my place, right?” Nino noted, due to the fact that Sho has visited his apartment before.

“I mean, at least you get privacy. My bedroom is only the size of a twin bed and is divided off by a curtain. And sometimes my mother still struggles to pay the bills.”

“ Well your situation isn’t ideal either, obviously. Not to mention that I don’t think it’s fair that I can get whatever I want while others struggle to put food on the table for their families. I know I should be thankful for what I have, but I don’t want to continue living like this. I’ve already tried to express that to my parents, but they insist that I be the heir of the company. I just want to live a normal, quite life.”

“That makes sense, though. Though it seems perfect, I don’t think I’d want to live like this either.”

 

There was a brief silence.

 

“Well let’s go inside, then.”

“Okay.”

 

Sho led Nino up the steps to the entrance to the mansion, whose size was more like that of a hotel than a house. As soon as they step inside Sho is greeted by a beautiful, young maid.

 

“Welcome home, young master.” She bowed and Sho bowed his head in return.

“And your name?”

“Ninomiya Kazunari.”

“Ninomiya-sama, please come in.” She pulled out a chair at the mahogany dining room table and gestured for him to sit.

“Please, have a seat.”

 

Nino sat down, and the maid pulled out a chair for Sho to sit in as well.

 

“Ninomiya-sama, would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“Please let me know if you need anything.”

 

Nino nodded, and the maid walked away.

 

“Jeez, I’m not used to being treated like royalty. Is it really like that every day?”

“Yes, which is why I don’t bring anyone here.”

“Isn’t that hard though? Like I want to relax when I get home, but everything is so stiff and formal here. I feel underdressed. ” Nino chuckled glancing down at his casual jeans and t-shirt.

 

Sho laughed.

 

“You’re fine, don’t worry about it. And yes, it is difficult. I want to be able to pour my own drink for once.”  Sho laughed again.

 

The students studied for their finals until lunchtime, when a different maid brought in a beautiful salad and perfectly cut sandwiches, made only with the finest organic meats and vegetables.

 

“You eat like this everyday?”

“Yeah. It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” Sho chuckled.

“A bit? That’s an huge understatement. I eat frickin’ cup ramen for lunch, if I even have lunch.” Nino said, taking a small bite out of his sandwich.

“Why don't you eat lunch? It’s not because you can’t afford it, right?”

“No, we’re not that poor, thankfully. I just don’t eat much. I couldn’t stand eating all of this fancy food every day. I like my poor people food, thank you very much.”

 

Sho laughed.

 

“Though it is a nice change of pace, being treated so well. I feel like I’m actually worth something for once.”

“Of course you’re worth something, silly.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like it when you’re constantly bullied and teased, and when you have no one around to support you. You’ve been a great help improving not only my grades, but my confidence in myself, and I’m thankful for that.”

“Really? I’ve helped you that much?”

“Yes.”

“Well actually..."

“Hm?”

“I wanted you to come here not only to help you study, but also talk to you about something in a more private place.”

“What is it?”

 

Sho grabbed Nino’s arm and lead him down to an empty hallway, free of maids and anyone else.

 

“Will you go out with me?”

“Eh?”

“I’ve liked you for a while now, so please, Ninomiya Kazunari, will you be my boyfriend?”

 

Nino froze for a moment, to let the words sink in.

 

“Wait, seriously? You like me? Of all the people you could have, you choose me?”

 

Sho nodded, clearly nervous.

 

“Well if that’s how you feel...”

 

Sho’s eyes lit up.

 

“Yes, of course I’ll go out with you. I’ve been crushing on you ever since I got into high school, you know.”

“You have?”

“Yes, you were just too dense to realize it.” Sho whacked him on the head.

“Hey, that’s no way to treat your new boyfriend!” Boyfriend. It felt good to say that he was someone’s boyfriend, Nino noticed.

“Well, why don't we go on our first date now?”

“Now?”

“Yeah, let’s go out and find something to do, maybe go to dinner after.”

“Rather than that, why don’t we experience my ideal date?”

“Which is?”

“Going to my place and playing video games together!”

“Oh, come on! You’re no fun!”

“Who said video games aren’t fun! And by the way, you’ve never really played video games before. How do you know you won’t like them?”

“Alright, fine. But next time, I am taking you out for a proper date.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

Nino smiled at Sho, who smiled in return.

Sho leaned towards Nino a bit,  “Uhh... is it okay?”

It took a second for Nino to realize what Sho was asking. Nino had never been kissed before, but now felt like the right time,  “...Yeah.”

 

Hesitantly, Sho leaned in towards Nino. Nino soon got impatient, however, and pulled Sho’s head the last few inches, crashing their lips together. Sho fell over a bit, holding on to Nino’s small frame for support as they kissed.

 

“Don’t pull me like that! I almost fell!”

“Well you shouldn’t have been so slow!”

“Sorry.” Sho chuckled.  “Let me try again.”

 

Sho put one arm around Nino’s waist and supported Nino’s head with the other. He guided Nino’s head forward and their lips met once more. Once their lips separated, they held each other close for a little while. Until Nino pushed Sho off of him.

 

“Enough with this romantic stuff! I want to play video games!”

Sho laughed, and followed Nino out the door.

 

 

Omake:

 

 

A few weeks later

 

Nino had called Sho so that they could practice English together.

 

_ “Hello?” _

_ “Hi, Kazunari.” _

_ “How are you?” _

_ “I’m well. How are you?” _

_ “I’m okay. Bit worry about English test.” _

“You should be, that sentence barely made sense!”

“Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad!”

“You should’ve said _‘I’m a bit worried about my English test’._ ”

“Oh, whatever.”

 

The couple continued chatting in English, with Sho correcting Nino’s mistakes and mispronunciations, and Nino laughing at Sho’s occasional errors.

 

“Sho, before we end the call, there’s an English phrase I learned that isn’t on my vocabulary list.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

 

_ “Sho, I love you.” _

 

Sho spluttered, blush spreading across his cheeks, up to the tips of his ears. Nino smirked, imagining what Sho’s face looked like.

After a minute, Sho took a deep breath and gained his composure.

 

_ “I love you too, Kazu.” _


End file.
